Grand piano



W. WEISER GRAND PIANO Filed April 30, 1927 Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES WALTER WEISER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GRAND PIANO.

Application filed April 30, 1927. Serial No. 187,732.

In the manufacture of grand pianos there has been a tendency to producegrand pianos of reduced size, without impairingthe resonance, tonequality or volume of the instrument. In view of the fact that the tonequality is directly dependent upon the length of the strings, the sizeto which grand pianos can be reduced has practically reached a limit inthe construction of baby grands and parlor grands.

In View of the growing demand for grand pianos of a size smaller thanthe present type of baby grand, for use in small modern apartments, thisinvention has been devised whereby a grand piano of a very small sizemay be produced having tone qualities and volume comparing favorablywith larger types of grand pianos and made possible by equipping apianoforte case with a sound box mounted below the string plate in placeof the ordinary sound board at present in use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pianoforte case with asoundbox positioned beneaththe string plate and having openings in thetop sound board thereof.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a pianoforte, thecasing of which is equipped with a sound boxhaving apertures in the topsound board thereof and also provided with adjustable openings in thebent rim thereof positioned to register with screen openings in the rimof the pianoforte case.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a piano case with asound box, the rim of which is provided with openings adapted to beregulated by slidable shutters operable from the exterior of the casingthrough openings in the casing rim registering with the openings in therim of the sound box.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide agrand piano ofreduced size, withtone qualities comparing favorably with those ofconcert and parlor grands by providing an apertured sound box in acasing beneath the string supporting plate, with one of the sound boardsof the sound box having sound outlet openings therein of a selectedconfiguration.

It is an important object of this invention to provide an improved grandpiano which may be of a comparatively small size, with the lengths ofthe strings of both the bass clef and treble clef proportionatelyreduced and positioned to coact with an apertu'red sound box mountedwithin the casing of the piano below the string plate and havingadjustable shutters in the rim thereof adapted to coact with registeringopenings in the rims of the sound box and casing to afford a meanswhereby the tone quality or resonance of the piano may be improved tofavorably compare with thetone qualities of concert grands andthe like.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.i

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated inthe drawings andhereinafter more fully described. 7

On the drawings Figure 1 is-a top plan View of an improve grand piano,with the cover removed and showing parts of the strings and string platebroken away, as well as illustrating a fragmentary section through oneside of the piano case."

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the piano case taken on lineII1'I of Figure l, with parts omitted.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken on line III-I'II of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary outer or face view of the sectional portion ofthe casing rim illustrated in Figure 3.

As shown on the drawings: The improved grand piano embraces a caseconstruction comprising in part a continuous bent rim 1, the ends ofwhich connect up with .a key-bed 2 in which the key board 3 issupported. The key board 3 is constructed in a standard manner andcomprises a plurality of keys 4 coacting with piano actions designatedas a whole by the reference numeral 5. Mounted in the upper portion ofthe casing behind the front board 6 is a metal string supportingframework comprising a wrest plate section 7 beneath which a wrest plankis adapted to be mounted, and a rear plate secill tion 8 connected by aplurality of longitudinally disposed brace ribs 9 and a transverselydisposed capotasto bar 10 beneath which the bass clef strings 11 and thetreble clef strings 1.2 are engaged. The front ends of the strings 11and 12 are connected to wrest pins or tuning pins 13 projecting throughopenings in the wrest plate 7 and supported in the wrest plank. The rearends of the strings 11 and 12 are connected to pins l l and 15respectively supported on the rear metal frame section 8. The rearportions of the bass strings 11 pass over a bass bridge 16 while therear portions of the treble strings 12 pass over a treble bridge 17.

Mounted within the piano casing is a wooden sound box comprising a topsound board 18 having a plurality of either round openings 19 or F slots20 therein. The bass bridge 16 and the treble, bridge 17 are mountedupon the upper face of the rear portion of the top sound board 18 topermit vibrations from the bass and treble strings to be transmitted tosaid sound board. The sound box furthermore comprises a continuous rim21 bent to conform to the shape of the rim of the piano case. The soundbox is also provided with a bottom board 22 and a front closure wall 23.The sound box rim 21 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 24which register With similarly shaped openings 25 provided at intervalsin the piano case rim 1. Mounted in each of the piano case openin s 25is a scroll screen 26 having a diametrical guide slot 27 therein throughwhich a handle or rod 28 projects, with the rear end of said handle 28secured to a slide plate or shutter 29 slidably engaged in grooved guiderails 30 secured to the inner face of the sound box rim 21.

It will thus be seen that an improved grand piano has been providedwhich may be constructed of a size materially smaller than the averagesize of parlor or baby grand pianos and having tone qualities and volumeoom paring favorably with the large type of concert and parlor grands.For the purpose of producing the desired tone qualities, the improvedpiano is equipped with a wooden sound box disposed in the rear portionof the piano case beneath the metal string supporting frame. Theimproved sound box is ar ranged with the top sound board having aplurality of either circular or F-shaped openings therein or acombination of both kinds of openings if desired. The lower sound board22 of the sound box is preferably plain and without openings. Theimproved sound box equipment enhances the tone quality of theinstrument, while the volume may be varied by adjusting the adjustableshutters or slides 29 by means of the handles 28 to vary the size of theregistering openings 2&- and 25 provided in the respective rims 21 and 1of the sound box and piano case. It will,

of course, be understood that the piano may be provided with a sound.box of the type disclosed or with a sound box omitting the openings 24and the adjustable shutters 29 coacting therewith. In case the openingsare omitted from the rim of the sound box, it will, of course, beunderstood that the openings 25 in the rim of the piano case are alsodispensed with.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by theprior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A grand piano comprising a case, the rim of which has a plurality ofopenings therein, a metal supporting frame mounted in said case, stringssupported on said metal supporting frame, piano actions mounted in saidcase for coaction with said strings, keys for operating said pianoact-ions, a sound box mounted in said case and having openings in therim thereof adapted to register with the openings in the piano case rim,and adjustable shutters for varying the size of the registering openingsin said piano case and sound box.

2. In a grand piano of the type described, a casing having openings inthe rim thereof, a sound box mounted therein having openings in the topsound board thereof and a plurality of openings in the rim registeringwith the openings in the case rim, slotted screens mounted in the caserim openings, shutters slidably mounted in the sound box to permitregulation of the registering openings in said sound box rim and in thepiano case rim, and means connected with said shutters projectingthrough said slotted screens to permit the shutters to be adjusted fromthe exterior of the piano case.

3. The combination with a grand piano case, of asound box mountedtherein having openings in the top sound board and in the rim thereof,and means for adjusting the openings in the sound box rim.

4. The combination with a pianocase, of a sound box mounted thereinhaving openings in the rim thereof, guide members in said sound box,shutters slidably mounted in said guide members adjacent said openings,and means for adjusting said shutters for regulating the openings insaid sound box.

5. The combination with a grand piano case, of a wooden sound boxmounted therein having a plurality of openings in the top sound boardthereof and a plurality of openings in the rim thereof, a pair of guidemem bers secured to the sound box rim on opposite sides of each of theopenings thereof, a shutter slidably mounted in each pair of guidemembers, and handles connected to said shutters and projectingthroughthe rim openrim thereof, and independently adjustable ings to permitsaid shutters to be operated to means mounted on the sound box forvaryopen and close said openings. ing the rim openings thereof.

6. The combination with a grand piano In testimony whereof I havehereunto sub- 5 case, of a sound box mounted therein having scribed myname at Chicago, Cook County,

a plurality of openings in the top sound board Illinois.

thereof and a plurality of openings in the WALTER WEISER.

